KGB (bar)

KGB is a Soviet era-themed ("Communist chic"[1] ) bar located in the East Village of New York City at 85 E. 4th Street, New York, New York 10003.

KGB
Location85 E. 4th Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates40.726580°N 73.989923°W / 40.726580; -73.989923
TypeBar
Opened1993
Website
Official website

History

Before its present incarnation, the building had been the Palm Casino, a speakeasy controlled by Lucky Luciano. From 1948 to 1988 it was a private social club for communists and socialists.[2] On the bar's walls are "Stalinist woodcuts, World War II posters, a picture of Valentina V. Tereshkova, hammer-and-sickle flags and the odd Lenin bust and balalaika."[3][4]

Inspired by the Soviet-era memorabilia stored in the building,[5] KGB Bar opened in 1993,[6] and became one of the most popular book-reading venues in New York City.[2] Popular authors read here pro bono on Sunday evenings (fiction), Monday evenings (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.[7] KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York magazine, The Village Voice, and others.[3]

Reading series

The bar hosts several regular reading series which include:

  • Trumpet Fiction – Literary fiction and arts, held on the second Saturday of every month, hosted by Jonathan Kravetz
  • Fantastic Fiction – A monthly speculative fiction reading series at the KGB Bar, held on the third Wednesday of every month, currently hosted by Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel
  • Monday Night Poetry Series – Founded by David Lehman and Star Black, this legendary series has lasted more than a decade and features an impressive slate of major contemporary poets in its fall and spring seasons. The series spawned a book, The KGB Bar Book of Poems, in 2000. Currently hosted by Matthew Yeager and John Deming.

References
  1. Wilson, John (February 15, 1999). "Communist Chic". Washington Examiner. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  2. Collins, Glenn (September 25, 1998). "A Cold War Relic Is a Literary Hot Spot; New Authors Hope Someone Important Is Listening to Them at Bar's Readings". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  3. Woychuk, Denis, Founder & President "KGB Bar: A Brief and Distorted History", Retrieved on March 30, 2008.
  4. Kortava, David (March 20, 2017). "Russia and Revolution at KGB Bar". The New Yorker.
  5. Broder, Mitch (March 15, 1997). "Back in the U.S.S.R." The Journal News (White Plains, NY). pp. C1, C7. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Marcius, Chelsia Rose (November 1, 2020). "Read It – Or Weep". New York Daily News. p. 3. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Morris, Bill (July 15, 2001). "Best of New York: The word is out". New York Daily News. p. 10-Lifeline. Retrieved February 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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